The program kicks-off with workshops and tutorials then moves on to the core technical program over several days. Join your peers for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at any number of top-level establishments, which are all within a few feet of the hotel and the convention center. Several other special events are also being planned. These include tastes of the food and wine that the Monterey area is famous for. The week will also include in-water demonstrations and exhibits of the latest in ocean technology. On the culminating evening of the conference, find yourself strolling between the local flora and fauna... (read more)

During the opening keynote speeches of US Hydro in National Harbor, USA, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse called upon the audience of American hydrographers to combine their voices with those of our oceans. Every day they are signalling the hugely damaging impact of pollution and climate change on the Earth’s seas, its flora and fauna and hence the planet as a whole. At the same time the senator also emphasised the need for federal funding for research and science to recover and undo the influences of climate change. Adding to Senator Whitehouse’s message Robert Ward, president of the International Hydrographic Organization,... (read more)

The IMarEST has launched a new hydrography descriptor for its Chartered Marine Scientist register to allow hydrographers to distinguish themselves by using the letters “CMarSci (Hydrography)” after their name. No such designation has previously existed and the IMarEST is the only organisation that can offer the Chartered Marine Scientist register. The hydrography post-nominal has been introduced to reflect the increasing importance of the discipline in allowing us to manage future challenges. Every human venture in, on or under the sea depends on hydrographic knowledge. That is a knowledge of the nature of the seafloor, its depth and any hazards that... (read more)

The release at the end of July 2017 of bathymetry data by Geoscience Australia has revealed seafloor maps with a resolution 15 times higher than those previously produced using satellite data. The bathymetric survey, conducted by Fugro during Phase One of the search for missing flight MH370, has provided a detailed map of the seafloor topography in the search area. The seafloor data is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the formation of the southern Indian Ocean. The information could provide unprecedented insights for scientific communities, benefiting research in areas such as continental margin geology, plate tectonic history, seabed... (read more)

The world’s biggest submarine pipeline plough, PL3, arrived on 8th February in the Baltic Sea on the deck of mother ship Far Samson. The subsea plough will be used to entrench the Nord Stream Pipeline in Swedish and Danish waters. Lowering of the pipeline below seabed level using PL3 ensures that the pipeline will remain stable in its position throughout its lifetime. Ploughing of the first pipeline is scheduled to be performed at several locations along the pipeline route between early February and mid-March, 2011. Model simulations have shown that ploughing will have no significant impact on flora... (read more)

An AUD200,000 CSIRO coastal glider is bound for Queensland, Australia, to be deployed in Moreton Bay to investigate the impact of the recent flooding on marine ecosystems. Dr Andy Steven from CSIRO's Wealth from Oceans Flagship says the glider's deployment is part of a research program to monitor the extent of the flood plume into Moreton Bay and assess its effects. Dr Steven said that this disastrous flood provides CSIRO with a rare opportunity to understand how the marine ecosystems respond to massive inputs of fresh water and sediments. "The glider will generate three-dimensional maps illustrating the impact of the... (read more)

Biological, Hydrographic and Oceanographic Accomplishments in the Late 19th Century

The Indonesian Archipelago is one of the world’s most beautiful archipelagoes. Home to over 17,000 islands, mountains rising to over 5,000 metres including over 70 historically active volcanoes, fabled spices, and a rich flora and fauna, Indonesia has beckoned fortune seekers and naturalists for centuries. The shores of its far-flung islands are bathed by two oceans and at least eleven separate seas making it also a challenging area for hydrographers. In the late 19th century, Indonesia was administered by the Dutch and known as the Dutch East Indies. The terrestrial flora and fauna of the area was fairly well known... (read more)

by the Old Hydrographer

Olaus Magnus, a Swedish Catholic priest, had for some years been employed collecting funds for the Church in the far north. During his extensive travels he made copious notes and sketches concerning the inhabitants and their way of life, the flora and fauna and even the denizens of the adjacent seas. With the advance of Lutheran creed across Scandinavia, and its acceptance by King Vasa, Olaus retired to Italy to spend the rest of his life compiling, with the aid of his numerous notes and sketches, a massive map of Scandinavia and in writing a prodigious illustrated history of the... (read more)

When the Dutch government and research institutions wanted to monitor how waves and currents would affect the pioneering use of artificial sand banks to protect a levee in a non-tidal freshwater system, Nortek was selected to supply key measuring instruments and set up the data telemetry system. The Houtribdijk is a 25km-long levee, or dike, separating two large artificial lakes, the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer. The lakes and accompanying levees protect the Netherlands from the forces of the North Sea’s extreme weather events, and from flooding from inland freshwater river systems. After years of exposure to the elements, the Houtribdijk... (read more)

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and sponsors, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), in collaboration with the Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure Participants, have announced a request for quotation (RFQ) and call for participation (CFP) in the OGC Interoperability Program’s Arctic Spatial Data Pilot Phase-2 (Arctic SDP) initiative. Responses to the RFQ are requested by 17 June 2016. The RFQ includes instructions on how organisations can respond to and submit questions about the RFQ. The purpose of this Request for Quotation and Call for Participation is to solicit proposals in response to a set of requirements for the... (read more)